Kierra

I think I startle him since he jumps slightly. There's a table and a couple chairs on the right side of the porch, so I direct him to one. He looks a little confused but does as I say.

"You've been rubbing your neck, do you realize you're doing it?"

At first, I can see the amusement forming in his eyes, then he has to think about it.

"No, not really. Been twinging a little for a couple of days now."

Visibly wincing, I go to the side that he's been rubbing. When first given, blood had been drawn and pressure used so it looked like a wicked hickey.

"Have you noticed you're rubbing where you were bitten? I didn't think it that deep, was something damaged?"

Feeling really guilty, I move his hand away. The area is red from his grabbing but all the bruising is gone as well as the bite holes. There is something there, however, and it causes my spine to stiffen.

"You let a Vamp bite you?"

Shade asks, pretty sure he didn't quite mean it like it came out. He seems to be really good at putting his foot in his mouth. The maned wolf frowns and shakes his head, then stops. Head slowly turning to me.

"I didn't know... I didn't mean to... If I knew... God, Xavier I'm sorry. You should really stop being my guinea pig, one day it could go really bad."

He snorts, running his fingertips over the raised skin.

"You bit him?"

"Yes, there was some crazy shit going on. I was riding my own desire to fight and my sister’s need for blood. I didn't know it would leave a mark like that. This Silver Wolf crap is really getting annoying with its random power-ups."

I leave the sexual part out, which has the maned wolf looking back at me and away from Shade. He watches my face while Asher comes out. Wrapping my arms around myself, I give them both an apologetic and lost look.

"So you bit him and didn't know your teeth would imprint? You sank your teeth into him like a Vampire right? What did you think would happen?"

I step back, strongly wanting to bolt, and Shade's idiotic questioning isn't helping. Xavier's eyebrows draw together, then look back to the younger brother.

"It's not fang marks. Even I felt all the energy that had been swimming around in the air when it happened, that's what she's worried about. Her Silver Wolf magics don't all come at once with knowledge on how to use them. This has happened before, it's no big deal."

I shake my head hard, giving him sad eyes to let him know I didn't know.

"No, Xavier, this hasn't happened before. Nothing has left a mark before. It would make more sense if it were bite marks, but it's not. The bite itself is all healed, what's on you now isn't natural."

He gives me soft eyes, clearly seeing that I'm about to take off and not wanting to push. Giving me a look as if I'm being silly, I frown at him.

"If it came from your magic, everything about it is natural."

"That makes no sense."

He slowly stands and turns to face me full on.

"You can't run right now, you have a couch coming, remember?"

The couch hardly matters right now as Shade and Zypher circle the porch.

"Don't! If you box me in it will just make things worse. You guys are new here, so there are things that have to be brought up right now. My wolf and I like a good fight, yes, but on our terms. I don't want to know what I'd do if I'm caged in by friends. Please step back."

They incline their heads but are looking around me with weird expressions. Xavier is as well, while Asher keeps an eye on me, giving only the briefest glance to what's going on to the surrounding area.

"What?"

An assortment of expressions look back at me, it’s the maned wolf who points to the patio under my feet. Looking down, I just blink, dumbfounded.

Not only is my breath fogging in the icy air, but there's literally a sheet of it under my feet and covering a wide radius around me. I didn't even notice the severe drop in temperature as I lower my arms, reaching out to touch the side of the house that’s covered in frost.

"It's ice."

Asher walks closer to me, nudging my hand and having me look down. The backs of my hands have a light layer of frost as well, but I don't feel cold.

"I don't feel it... I know the temperature has gone way down, but I don't really notice a difference."

My voice sounds just as confused as I am. Stepping back so the others can do their own testing, the Arctic brothers actually look a little pleased while Xavier crosses his arms, clearly feeling cold.

As my emotions settle, the air regulates and ice melts.

"Xavier, come here please."

He comes with no hesitation, wish I had that much trust in myself. When he's standing in front of me, looking at me with amber eyes, I ask him to kneel. Going down without a problem, I tilt his head to the side.

The mark left where I had bitten him is raised up like scar tissue, thin and tinged blue. Looking much like how you can see blue veins through your skin. The symbol on him is not one a mouth can accomplish by just a straight bite.

Reminds me of spider web threads. Roughly a couple inches from one edge to the other, a circle is imprinted with an assortment of lines within. A dreamcatcher comes to mind, but the lines are in the shape of an intricate snowflake. Lines descending below it lead to a few feathers.

Not going to lie, it is really pretty, but I'd like to know how the hell it happened. I look up to the others and motion them over to see it. Asher being the closest looks at it and perks his ears forward.

Xavier's body heat pulses against me, his inner thermostat rising to keep him warm in the cold air that is steadily fading back to what it was before dropping so fast. Hard not to be so aware of a male when they're kneeling right at your feet. The position would look more natural if his arms were around or resting at my waist, but he's respecting my wishes by leaning back a bit.

"You've never made this mark before?"

My head shakes at Zypher's question. I slide fingertips over it softly, the texture reminding me of real thin raised scarring. Amber eyes slide to me as a shiver goes down his spine and has me pulling away, but I have to ask.

"While it was happening, were you getting...the same thing Faline said about Vamps when they bite each other?"

I dread his answer as he clearly doesn't want to say. Just that lets me know that it was though. Wincing, I step back and his eyes drop.

"What happens between Vampires?"

Taking in a lot of hair and letting it out slowly, Xavier beats me to the punch as he stands, avoiding looking at my face while he explains. I turn and look down the driveway so I don't have to see their expressions. Not like I meant for it to happen.

Asher's warmth weaves into my brain, but I'm too uncomfortable right now to accept it. Thankfully, the large furniture van, truck, whatever you want to call it, pulls in. That seems to have knocked all their brains back into functioning on regular, normal things, instead of me.

Bastion comes out and makes his way to my side. My eyes fly to Asher, knowing he called him out. Think he realizes that the only males I don't feel threatened by are the ones I look at as kids. Granted they are, but still. Tugging him in front of me like a shield, my arms go around him and we watch the vehicle come in.